


ain't no sunshine (when she's gone)

by sunshine_and_raincloud



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: AU, Angst, F/F, FBI AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:15:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23893666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshine_and_raincloud/pseuds/sunshine_and_raincloud
Summary: FBI Agents AU
Relationships: Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell
Comments: 20
Kudos: 48





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've finally learned how to use punctuation in dialogues. Better late than never xD
> 
> TW: depictions of violence, mentions of blood and loss of a loved one

**The present day, 11:00 pm**

Numb.

That's how she felt right now.

The emotional storm has finally passed, leaving a broken shell of Beca Mitchell behind.

The apartment was cold, the only source of light coming from the moon shining through the gaps between the blinds. The silence no longer overwhelmed her. Sitting on the bedroom floor, the only thing she could feel was the black hole, void filling up the space inside her chest that was once occupied by her heart.

Beca had once had her personal sunshine, lighting up her entire existence.

But they took the sunshine away from her.

And she was left in the darkness, alone.

* * *

**Three weeks ago, 9:00 pm**

“Please, tell me it was the last one. I'm hungry,” Beca whined, shifting two shopping bags in her hand. Her stomach seemed to agree with her, as it chose this moment to grumble loudly.

“You're such a baby.” Chloe rolled her eyes – a move she'd picked up from Beca – and smiled fondly at her. “Okay, I think we can call it a day. Let's go home, I'll cook your favorite.”

Beca let out an excited yes, pulling a chuckling Chloe away from the shop entrance by her free hand. She didn't understand why the woman needed so many new clothes anyway. It's not like they had many occasions to dress up with their line of work.

“Maybe we should choose the street that doesn't have dead bodies lying on it every Saturday night,” Chloe said when Beca led them to the dark alleyway, known as one of the most dangerous places in the city. 

“Scared?” Beca grinned at her. “Don't worry babe, I'll protect you.”

Chloe only scoffed in response. They've had a relaxing day off so far, she didn't feel like dealing with criminals tonight. They could be really annoying.

They strolled hand in hand, chattering lightly, when they saw two figures ahead of them. From what Beca could tell in the dark, one of them was a burly man, and the smaller one was probably a woman, who seemed to be struggling in the man's grasp. Suddenly, a high-pitched scream pierced the air, confirming Beca's suspicion. 

“I've got this one,” she said, hastily handing Chloe her bags and sprinting towards the two people, pulling out her gun in the process. 

Just before she reached them, the man pushed the woman, who stumbled towards Beca, effectively slowing her down, and then quickly turned on his feet and ran away. 

Beca wanted to go after him immediately, but she hesitated for a second, not wanting to leave the woman alone. She looked behind and saw Chloe, who has just caught up to them.

“Go!” was all Chloe said, looking briefly into Beca's eyes, before turning towards the scared looking blonde. 

Beca didn't waste any more time, running as fast as she could along the empty street. She spotted the man not so far ahead of her, and she sped up even more. She was the fastest runner in her team, so she was quickly closing the distance between them. The guy took a sharp turn left, running into what Beca knew to be the dead end.  _ Got you. _

“FBI! Freeze!” she shouted, pointing his gun at him.

The man stopped, turning around with his arms spread open. He didn't look scared or even worried.

“Yeah, you've got me,” he said, sporting a smirk that made Beca feel sick. Something about the situation was not right. She made a cautious step closer.

“You know, I expected more from you, agent Mitchell,” the man continued. “I told them the plan wasn't gonna work. But look at you. Falling right into the trap.”

“What are you talking about?” she spat, now pressing the gun into his forehead.

The man threw her a wicked grin, clearly not fazed by the action. Beca hadn't realized how unusually silent it was until a loud bang sounded from nearby. She knew the sound all too well – it was a gunshot. A single thought took over her mind right then.  _ Chloe. _

She must have said it out loud, as the man started to cackle. She shot him in the knee to prevent him from running away. He yelped in pain, but still managed to scream after her.

“She's already dead!”

_ No. No! That can't be.  _ Beca was running faster than she'd ever run, her heart racing a mile a minute. Her feet were pounding on the concrete, adrenaline filling her veins. A few more shots could be heard from a distance. A cold dread was starting to rise within her, but she pushed it back, focusing instead on controlling her breathing. Finally, she turned the last corner, and the scene before her almost caused her to trip.

There Chloe was, fighting four men at the same time. The sight made Beca's whole being scream with protest. Because even though Chloe was very well trained - she was actually better than Beca at physical combat - she was heavily outnumbered. Beca was still running when one of the men managed to get past the redhead's defenses and punch her hard in the head. Chloe fell limply on the ground, hitting the curb with a resounding crack.

“Chloe!” Beca screamed, still rushing towards them. The men looked at her briefly, assessing that she was too far away to pose a threat. Two of them picked Chloe up and threw her into the back of the truck that stood nearby, got in themselves, and drove off with the squeal of tires. 

Beca came to an abrupt stop, staring after the speeding vehicle in shock until it disappeared from sight. She was too late. Her mind was racing, her throat closing painfully, but she didn't have time to waste on panicking. She had to do something.  _ Think, Beca. Think. _ She couldn't go after the truck, so she needed to figure out where they took Chloe.

She looked around. There were bodies strewn about the street, lying lifelessly in puddles of blood. Beca recognized one of them as belonging to the blonde woman they'd been trying to help earlier. The remaining three were men, all dressed in the same uniforms with a familiar red logo sewn on them. _The_ _Vipers._

That's when she realized it was indeed a setup. A hot wave of hatred washed over her. They may have won this battle, but she was not letting them win the war.

Beca turned on her heel and run back to where she left the man. With his leg shot through, he couldn't have gone too far.

She found him resting against the wall, clutching his leg. At the sight of her, he started to grin, but she wiped it off of him with a swift kick to his face.

“Where did they take her?!” she shouted, hovering over him threateningly. The only reaction she got was a nasty laughter. “Tell me, you fucker, or I'll cut your balls off!” She kicked him in the ribs, feeling the rest of her self-control leaving her with every passing second.

“The order was to kill. Her body is probably swimming in the river by now.” 

“Liar! Tell me where she is!” She delivered a hard punch to his face. “Tell me!”

The man gave no further response, so she continued to hit him, channeling all her frustration and fear into the blows. His face soon became a bloody mess. Beca didn't care, though. All she saw was a red haze.

Suddenly, she was enveloped by a pair of strong arms, lifting her up and away from the man.

“That's enough Beca. He's already dead. Come on,” she recognized Jesse's voice, murmuring in her ear soothingly. She struggled in his grip, but he held her tightly. She finally let herself be led back to the scene, where she saw the rest of her team. Upon seeing her, they all stopped whatever they were doing, looking at her with varying degrees of relief and uncertainty.

“Beca, thank god you're okay!” That was Stacie, stepping closer to them with a small smile on her face.

“We got here as soon as we could after we'd gotten the SOS signal from Chloe. Where is she by the way?” CR asked.

“The Vipers took her,” Beca managed to croak out. “We've got to get her back.” The desperation rang clearly in her voice. Gasps sounded from the people surrounding her, and soon they all started asking questions.

“Guys, let's head to the HQ. Boss needs to hear it first,” Jesse interrupted them, leading Beca to his car.

* * *

“Applebaum, see if you can locate the truck,” Ben Mitchell said somberly after Beca had finished recounting the events. “For now, all we can do is wait.”

“Wait?!" Beca looked at her dad, who also happened to be her boss, incredulously. "You want me to sit on my ass and do nothing when my wife is in danger?!" She was pacing around the room like a tiger in a cage, shaking with anger. 

“There's nothing we can do for now, Beca. We still don't know the location of their base.” He sighed heavily. “Besides, they would have contacted us by now if they wanted to negotiate.”

Beca looked at him sharply, taking a step in his direction. “What are you saying?”

“Beca, I know how incredibly hard it is for you...but I think we both know we've most probably lost her,” her dad said gently with a sympathetic look in his eyes.

“No! She's alive, I know that. You're just a fucking coward who won't take action 'cause he's too scared!” Beca screamed in his face, feeling the rage overcoming her quickly. “So either you do something right now, or I'm gonna get her back by myself,” she spat, turning towards the door. Before she could take more than a few steps, her dad barked the order to stop her. She struggled against her teammates, managing to knock one out, but soon, they overpowered her, dragging her kicking and screaming to the small interrogation room, locking the door behind them. As she pounded on the hardwood, screaming expletives, she heard her father's voice from the other side. 

“I'm sorry, Beca, but it's for your own good.”

*****

Beca didn't know how long she's been locked up. After what was probably a few hours, the door opened, and her dad walked in, followed closely by Jesse. They were both looking very grim.

“This, um-” Jesse's voice was hoarse as he approached her, not quite meeting her eyes. “This was found at our doorstep just now. You need to see it,” he said, handing her a plain envelope.

Beca took it, noticing the envelope has been opened already. She turned it upside that, the content falling into her open palm. She froze when she realized what it was - Chloe's wedding band, stained with dried blood. And a note, which said: 'So you have something to put in the casket.'

“I'm so sorry,” she heard her dad whisper.

Her knees gave out and Beca collapsed to the floor, her scream of anguish bouncing from the walls.

*****

Beca was sobbing uncontrollably, tears running down her cheeks in seemingly endless streams. They left her alone, knowing that nothing could possibly console her at the moment. Her knees were hurting from the hours spent on the hard floor, but she could barely register it. She was rocking slightly back and forth when Jesse came in and gathered her in his arms, picking her up easily. She didn't fight him when he put her in his car again and drove to her apartment. She didn't care where she was anyway.

*****

The following days were spent in a trance-like state. The only time she left the bed was when she had to go to the bathroom. Her friends were taking turns in taking care of her, forcing her to eat and drink. At first, they were trying to talk to her, but when she kept her silence they eventually gave up, only giving her these worried looks.

She barely slept at night. Every time she closed her eyes, she'd see Chloe's body hitting the ground and being carelessly thrown into the truck. Sometimes, the nightmares were even worse, images of Chloe's dead, battered body playing out behind her closed lids. She'd wake up covered in a cold sweat every time, heart beating fast, tears streaming down her face, throat sore from screaming.

*****

It's been a week since Chloe was gone. Instead of slowly getting better, Beca felt worse with each passing day. As she became more aware of her surroundings, the memories of the years she spent with Chloe in their apartment started haunting her at every waking moment. Her scent, which lingered everywhere, her belongings strewn around the place, even the wine stain on the carpet - everything reminded her of her wife. But the worst was probably the silence. It overwhelmed her, the apartment never being so silent when Chloe was around. Beca tried drowning it out with music, but as soon as she turned on the radio and recognized the notes as one of the songs she and Chloe danced to at their wedding, she threw it across the room, smashing it into pieces. There was no music after this incident.

Jesse was now staying with her full time, sleeping on her couch. Beca could tell he was worried about her, probably fearing she would try to take her own life. But Beca hadn't even considered that, not much at least. That would be a blissful escape she didn't think she deserved. The blame was eating her alive. She failed to keep Chloe safe, so she didn't deserve to just end her misery.

* * *

**The present day, 5:00 am**

Beca opened her eyes, the sound of hushed whispers breaking the silence around the apartment. She checked the time, realizing she must have fallen asleep. After she had finally moved from her position on the floor, lying on her bed to try and get some rest, she didn't think she'd be able to actually sleep for five uninterrupted hours. She must have been exhausted, her body not getting enough sleep for around three weeks now. Rubbing her eyes, she focused on the voices coming from her living room.

“How is shortstack holding up?” Beca recognized the voice as belonging to Amy.

“As good as expected. Which means, really bad,” Jesse sighed tiredly. “You know how much she loved Chloe. Losing her...it practically destroyed her.”

Beca felt a sharp pain shooting through her chest at the mention of her wife's name. Her friends avoided saying it around her for fear of upsetting her, so she hasn't heard it in a while.

“Right,” she heard Amy mutter sadly. “But we can finally avenge the ginger. Benji managed to find those bastards' hideout.”

Beca almost leaped out of the bed upon hearing the news. She willed herself to lie still, needing to hear the rest of what Amy had to say.

“-so I can finally get my hands on them. The Kraken will be unleashed!" Amy's voice was getting progressively louder. 

“Shh, Amy!” Jesse's harsh whisper stopped the Australian's rant. “Tell me what you know, just let me check if Beca is still asleep.”

Beca quickly readjusted her position on the bed, lying still under the covers with her eyes shut, trying to take deep breaths. She heard a slight creak of the door being opened, soft footsteps making their way closer to her. After a few moments of silence, Jesse finally retreated back from her bedroom, closing the door behind him.

“Okay, I think we're good. But keep it down, just in case.”

Amy began describing the location, making colorful digressions about what she wanted to do to the assholes that killed their teammate. Beca was listening closely to every word, committing every detail to memory.

“I can't believe they've been hiding right under our noses,” Jesse said after Amy had finished her description. “Anyway, what now? What did the boss say?”

“Oh, you know him, he wants to wait and observe them before we take action. Same bullshit as always.”

Beca's body was shaking with rage. Now that she finally knew where to find those fuckers, she wasn't going to wait any longer. The cogs were turning in her brain, forming a plan. She was going to make them pay.

*****

Her mental preparations were interrupted by Jesse's head peeking through the door.

“You're awake, good,” Jesse said, an anxious smile appearing on his face. “Listen, um, I'm heading to the HQ for a bit. Something came up and I need to talk to the boss. You're gonna be okay by yourself?”

“Jess, I'm a grown-ass woman. I don't need a babysitter,” Beca grumbled, her voice rough from the lack of use. At the hurt look on her friend's face, she sighed, rubbing her face. “Look, I appreciate what you're doing for me. But you don't need to fret over me, I'm gonna be fine.” She looked him in the eye, trying to appear genuine.

“I know.” Jesse seemed to be a little hesitant, but he sent her a small smile nonetheless. “I'll see you in a few hours, okay?”

“Sure. Say hi to everyone for me.”

When the front door closed after Jesse with a soft click, Beca sprung to action. Taking off her sweaty pajamas, she rushed to the walk-in closet. Ignoring the pang of pain that came with seeing Chloe's clothes, folded neatly in her part of the small room, Beca rummaged through her own clothes, finding a pair of comfortable underwear. Having put them on, she then got her usual black attire she always wore for actions – a pair of slacks, a belt, a t-shirt, and a kevlar vest. 

After getting dressed, she went to their special locker to retrieve her guns and ammo. She opted for a machine gun and two Glocks. She also grabbed a knife to put in her boot, just in case.

Having tied her hair in a tight ponytail, she grabbed a blank piece of paper and a pen, scribbling a quick note to Jesse. She didn't have time, nor was she in a suitable mental state to write an emotional letter. Buzzing with nervous energy, she simply thanked him for being the best friend she could ever hope for and apologized for the pain she was inevitably going to cause. She didn't bother explaining why she was doing what she was going to do. She knew Jesse would understand. He may never accept her decision, but he knew Beca very well. He will understand that for her, there was no other option.

Beca took one last look around the apartment, which held so many fond memories. She felt a single tear slowly rolling down her cheek. She wiped it hastily, shaking her head. She couldn't let her emotions overcome her. Right now was the time to act.

She shrugged on her leather jacket, grabbed her car keys and left the apartment, heading towards the elevator. Thankfully, it was empty. She didn't feel like talking to any of her neighbors. While most of them were aware of her line of work, and some of them did actually see her and Chloe walking around armed, she knew they would probably ask questions. Or worse, give her their condolences. She couldn't deal with that shit right now.

She went down to the underground garage and located her car, a silver Chevy Camaro SS. It was her baby, and normally the mere sound of its revving engine would give her a rush. Now, however, as she sat on the leather seat and turned the keys in the ignition, all she could focus on was her mission. 

Beca drove through the streets, mostly empty at this time of night. She was no longer anxious, coming closer and closer to her destination. Going through the practically automatic motions of driving a car, she let the emotions that have been suppressed for the last three weeks fill her entirely. Then, she channeled all this grief, guilt, and rage into one thing, a calm sense of purpose. She became an eye of the storm – cold and untouchable.

Having arrived at the described location, Beca stopped the car, looking at the building ahead of her. It was a private psychiatric hospital, shut down and abandoned nearly ten years ago. Made from a gray stone and three stories high, the building was quite a formidable sight. It made for a perfect hideout.

Beca took a few deep breaths, mentally preparing herself for what was to come. Her plan was very simple – kill as many of the fuckers who took her wife's life as possible. No finesse, no intricate scheming. Just a quick and brutal revenge.

She wasn't naive enough to think that she could possibly get away alive from this. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was going to die today. Maybe, if she was lucky, she would see Chloe again, in whatever afterlife there was.

Beca retrieved Chloe's wedding band, which she had tucked away in her left breast pocket. She brought the cold metal to her lips, kissing it gently. She then put it back safely and picked up her phone, opening the folder with the pictures of her wife. She stared at Chloe's beautiful face, smiling brightly at her from the screen.

“Please forgive me, my love. I know you wouldn't want me to, but I have to do this. I'm not strong enough to go on without you,” Beca whispered in the otherwise silent car, her voice cracking a little. She shut her eyes tightly, fighting the wave of anguish threatening to overcome her. She managed to push it back, refocusing on her goal.

Beca put the phone on the passenger seat. She was not going to need it. She got out of the car and retrieved the guns from the trunk. Holstering the Glocks, she loaded the machine gun and headed towards the back door of the building.

* * *

The corridor before her was long and narrow, lit by a harsh, white light coming from fluorescent lamps. On both sides, there were doors with small windows in them. Beca started walking slowly, her footsteps echoing in the empty hall. There was no sign of life, but she was sure it was just a matter of time before she was detected. Sure enough, when she turned the corner, she came face to face with her first victims. She didn't give the two men any time to react before she shot them quickly, one after another. They fell limply to the floor, a pool of blood already starting to form around their bodies.

“Take that, motherfuckers,” Beca muttered, stepping over the dead men. It was almost too easy. But now the rest of the gang was probably aware of her presence. Soon, she was going to have a lot of company.

True to her prediction, after a few minutes she heard what seemed to be a group of people running towards her. She knelt on the ground to make herself a smaller target. Seconds later, four men entered the corridor, looking around. She managed to kill two of them before they had even noticed her. The remaining two fired towards her, the bullets flying around her head. Thankfully, they lacked precision and cold blood needed in that kind of situation, and so both of them soon joined the other two on the floor. Beca stood up, reloading the gun.  _ Amateurs _ , she thought, looking at the dead gangsters. They all looked young, probably in their mid-twenties. Even though Beca was twenty-seven herself, she's had years of intense training behind her. These guys were no match for her. She suspected that they were sent first on purpose, to tire her. The real challenge has yet to come.

Not sparing another glance towards the bodies, she continued deeper into the building. If the situation was different, she would feel remorse for killing those people. As it was, she felt no qualms about taking their lives in exchange for her wife's. Besides, they were the worst kind of criminals, committing terrible things, terrorizing the whole city. They deserved what they got.

After coming across a few more small groups, Beca began to feel the strain. Running around, eliminating the enemies whilst avoiding getting shot at the same time was definitely draining. Also, she was slowly running out of ammunition. Her time was coming to an end, she knew it.

It was getting tougher, too. Her opponents were noticeably more experienced. The fights went on longer and longer, Beca coming close to death multiple times. Her main goal was to get to their boss, the man responsible for all this nightmare, but chances for that ever happening were becoming slim.

She was in the middle of a fight against three gangsters when she ran out of ammo. She cursed, quickly throwing the machine gun aside. Before she managed to get out her Glocks, a shot in the chest sent her stumbling to the floor. Her bulletproof vest stopped the bullet from penetrating her body, but the impact still managed to knock her off her feet. She rolled on the floor, tumbling through the nearest door on her left. She knocked the table to the ground to create a barricade. Crawling behind it, she took out her handguns and loaded them, just before the men barged in after her. She shot two of them, but the third one got to her, kicking her hard in the ribs. Beca hissed in pain, the guns falling out of her hands. The man stood over her, bringing his own gun to her head with a triumphant smirk on his lips.

“Say goodbye, bitch,” he rasped before pulling the trigger. Nothing happened though, apparently, he ran out of ammo, too. Taking advantage of his momentary confusion, Beca tackled him to the ground. He struggled in her grip, taking a hold of her neck, trying to strangle her. Beca reached for her boot, taking out the blade she had hidden there earlier, and slit his throat in a one, smooth move.

“Goodbye, bitch,” she said, dismounting the now dead body and leaned on the wall, breathing heavily. She was tired, sweat was dripping down her face, and she had a few bleeding wounds where the bullets grazed her skin. She didn't even know when she got them, adrenaline numbing her pain. She dressed the wounds the best she could, using the man's shirt as a makeshift bandage. 

Knowing she couldn't sit in one place for a long time, she collected her guns and stood up, continuing her mission determinedly. She was aware that in her current state she was an easy target, but she refused to back down. Avenging Chloe was the only thing that mattered.

Surprisingly, in the next fifteen minutes she spent wandering through the building, she hasn't encountered any more enemies. Was it possible that she killed all of them? She quickly dismissed that thought. She killed many, but surely not all. Perhaps they were regrouping.

Reaching the end of the corridor on the top floor, she stopped before a double door. She had a distinct feeling that she has reached her destination. The mission she started by entering the building will end in the room in front of her. Straightening her back, she pushed the door open and made a few cautious steps inside.

The room was huge. There were floor-to-ceiling windows to her right and left, and in front of her, in the middle of the room, there was some kind of indoor garden, with exotic plants, small fountains, and wooden benches. It had probably served as a relaxation place for the patients, back in the day. High above her head there was a glass dome, through which she could see the stars.

“Pretty, isn't it?” a male voice sounded somewhere from her right. Beca looked around, searching for its owner. Finally, a middle-aged man in an elegant suit emerged from behind the vegetation. She had never seen the guy in person, but she recognized him immediately. His photo hung in the prime place on the criminal's board in their HQ.

“You!” Beca growled, looking at the man hatefully. Richard Donovan, the head of the Vipers. The man responsible for so many deaths of innocent people. Of Chloe's death.

“Rebecca Mitchell. We finally meet. I was wondering when you are going to pay me a visit.”

“Cut the bullshit!” Beca shouted. “Don't pretend you don't know why I'm here.”

“Ah, indeed. You want to kill me as revenge for Chloe, right?" 

“Don't say her name, you fucking bastard!” Beca was shaking with rage, barely able to control herself. Hearing a shuffling behind her, she turned her head, seeing a group of men standing with their guns aimed at her. They were probably waiting for a signal from their boss, but Donovan shook his head lightly. He then turned again towards Beca, smiling at her sickly.

“You and your lovely wife were causing us a lot of troubles, killing the best of my people. I figured it was high time I did something about it. Now, she won't be a problem anymore, and soon you won't either." 

“You won't get to enjoy it,” Beca said, raising her gun and pointing it at the man's head.

“Not so fast, little one. First, I have something to show you.” Donovan gestured at one of his guards, who then walked off towards the other end of the room. Beca heard a door opening and closing, and then opening again, but she couldn't see what was going on, the garden obstructing her view. She could finish the man off right then and there, and then most probably get killed, herself, but she was kind of curious.

A moment later, the guard came back and nodded his head to his boss.

“All ready, sir.”

“Excellent!” Donovan grinned widely and then turned his head in the direction the guard came from, calling out, “Come join us, my dear!”

Soft footsteps could be heard from close by, and soon a woman appeared before them. The woman Beca could recognize anywhere. The woman she thought was long gone. Seeing her, Beca sank down to her knees and let out a barely audible whisper.

“Chloe.” 

*****

Beca was frozen, kneeling on the ground with her jaw hanging loose, gaping at the sight in front of her with disbelief. Maybe she died and was now seeing angels? Or maybe she’s lost her mind and was seeing things that weren't there. Yeah, that was probably the latter. Because, how was it possible that her wife, who they all thought was dead, who Beca herself saw being abducted by people who wanted nothing more than to kill her, was now standing, living and breathing, a mere few feet away from Beca?

Beca would rub her eyes, but she was so scared that her wife would suddenly vanish that she didn't even dare to blink.

There was no denying the fact though. Chloe Mitchell was indeed alive. Beca still couldn't move any other part of her body except for her eyeballs, so she drank in the sight, her eyes sweeping anxiously all over her wife. Chloe seemed unharmed, at least physically. She was dressed in jeans and a black tank top, both clean and apparently new. Her beautiful, red hair was falling over her shoulders in delicate waves. Yet, what was decidedly off was Chloe's face. She was looking at Beca, but the warm, loving smile that was always directed at her was gone. Her gorgeous baby blue eyes were cold, regarding Beca with a mixture of curiosity and disdain.

Seeing that, Beca's wildly beating heart clenched painfully.

“Chlo?” she croaked out through her dry throat. Chloe's expression remained impassive, a raised eyebrow serving as the only acknowledgment of her words. “Are you okay?” Beca tried once again.

Chloe looked at Donovan questioningly. The man smiled at her, nodding his head slightly.

“I'm fine. That's none of your business though,” Chloe finally answered, hostility oozing from her words.

“What...what are you talking about?” Beca stuttered incredulously. “Chlo, what's going on? Baby, please talk to me.”

A frown appeared on Chloe’s face. “Don't call me that.” she protested, her voice stern.

“Why? What's going on?” Beca repeated. She was utterly confused, having no idea why her wife would act the way she acted. “I thought I've lost you. How are you still alive? Baby, I was so scared. Please, tell me you're fine.” Beca was growing desperate, wanting nothing more than to take her wife in her arms and never let go. But Chloe acted as if she didn't even know her.

“Whatever you're trying to do right now, stop. Richard has already warned me that you could say something weird like that. It's not gonna work, so don't even bother.” 

“Not gonna work? Chloe, what are you talking about? And since when are you friends with that scumbag?” Beca's eyes widened at her wife's words. This situation was making less sense with every passing minute.

“Don't!” Chloe said angrily, taking a few steps towards her. “Don't you dare call him names when the only vile person here is you!”

Beca could only stare at her.  _ That was insane! Did they brainwash her or something? Oh god, let it not be true! _ She moved to stand up, but was violently thrown back down by the guards.

“Disarm her,” Donovan ordered, and the men behind her quickly took away Beca's guns. “Leave us.”

The guards obediently followed the order, walking towards the back room. Donovan took out his own gun, handing it to Chloe.

“You know what to do,” he said. Chloe nodded, taking the offered weapon and closing the remaining distance between her and Beca, raising the gun to the brunette's head.

“Chloe? What...what are you doing?” Beca started panicking, the coldness of Chloe's expression hurting her immensely. Chloe didn't budge, looking at Beca with determination. “Baby, it's me, Beca. Your wife, remember? I love you, honey, I love you so much. Please, talk to me.” Beca's pleading fell on deaf ears though.

“You're lying. I know who you are. You're Beca Mitchell, a criminal, the woman who killed my dad. And now you're going to pay for your crimes.”

“What?! No! That's him, Donovan killed your father! Don't you remember?” Beca slowly stood up, now face to face with her wife. Their close proximity was overwhelming, but she tried her hardest not to let it distract her. “Chloe, look me in the eyes. Focus, baby. Whatever they told you, that's all a lie. That man is the one who killed your father. And I was doing everything in my power to help you avenge him. I promised you that the day we met. Do you remember?” Beca was looking intensely at Chloe, trying to get through to her. In one second, she was sure that she's seen something familiar in her wife's eyes, but then Chloe took a small step back and raised her gun a little higher.

“Stop, Beca. It's over.” 

And then, before Beca had the time to do anything else, Chloe pulled the trigger.

* * *

**3 weeks ago,** **10:30 pm**

Bright blue eyes snapped open, blinking furiously to adjust to the harsh light. A dull ache in her head made Chloe groan quietly in pain. Slowly, she looked around, taking in her surroundings. She was lying on a narrow bed in a small room without windows. The only other furniture was a small bedside table, a chair, and a wardrobe. The space did not look familiar at all and Chloe struggled to figure out where she was and how she got there.

The door opening caught her attention, and a middle-aged man came in, followed by two guys with guns on their belts. She didn't recognize any of them.

“Ah, I see you're awake, good. Now, we may begin the fun part,” the man said jovially.

“Excuse me but, where am I? And who are you?” Chloe asked hesitantly, trying to make sense of the situation. The man looked taken aback for a second, but he quickly schooled his expression into a neutral one.

“I'm Richard Donovan. You're on my property,” he said after regarding her closely for a moment. The surname seemed oddly familiar to her, but she couldn't link it to anyone she knew.

“Chloe Beale. Which, um, you probably know? Sorry, I must have hit my head pretty bad, I don't actually remember much of anything.” Chloe thought she saw a flicker of confusion and then something akin to a triumph appear on the man's face, but it disappeared so quickly that she couldn't be sure. 

“Well, let me ask you a few questions then. What's the last thing you remember?”

Chloe pondered the question for a minute, focusing hard on recalling anything that could help her orient herself in the situation.

“The funeral," she finally whispered. "My father was murdered by a bunch of criminals he was helping to catch. He must have found out something crucial so they silenced him. At his funeral, I swore to catch the people responsible for his death." The memories were painful, but Chloe cleared her dry throat and continued slowly. "So I moved to Atlanta, where the gang was allegedly hiding, and was going to transfer to the local FBI unit. But, I don't know if I ever did. I remember the first few days after arriving in the city, but nothing after that." 

“I see. Why don't you rest for a bit, Chloe, you got pretty banged up after all. I'll return in a few hours and explain everything.” Not waiting for her response, the man sent her a small smile and promptly left the room, leaving Chloe alone with her thoughts.

*****

“I apologize for the poor conditions, my dear. Unfortunately, we're currently in hiding, so it's the best we can provide," Donovan stated upon his return, a kind smile on his face. He handed Chloe a glass of water and two white pillows. "For headache," he explained. 

Chloe accepted the pillows gratefully. Her head was still pounding.

“Let me now explain the situation and refresh your memory a bit. You see, you've been attacked by an organized group of criminals, who are also after us. Thankfully, my boys managed to rescue you just in time..." 

Chloe listened closely as Donovan told his tale, proclaiming herself a long time friend of her father. Apparently, they were working together on the Viper's case, and after her dad was assassinated, Donovan and his group went into hiding. He then proceeded to tell her in detail how she was attacked by the aforementioned gang and rescued by his people. The whole story seemed legitimate, but none of the described events rang any bell s for Chloe.

“Now, the most important part.” Donovan's voice turned grave, the man leaning on his chair to look Chloe in the eyes. “The person responsible for the death of your poor father, and attempt at your own life.” The man reached to his pocket, retrieving what seemed to be a photo. Slowly, he turned it towards Chloe. It took everything in her not to gasp, his next words hitting her heart like a sledgehammer. “Beca Mitchell.”

Seeing the face of the woman that meant everything to her broke the dam blocking Chloe's memories, images flooding her brain one after another. Beca. Her Beca. How could she forget, even for a moment? Chloe fought hard to keep her emotions at bay, not letting anything show on her face. She suddenly realized just how grave a situation she found herself in. One wrong move and she was dead.

“Have you – um, have you caught her? Is she alive?” She couldn't stop herself from asking, doing everything in her power not to let the fear for her wife show in her voice.

“We haven’t managed to capture her, no.” She could feel Donovan's eyes oh her, judging her every word and expression. “But I believe it's only a matter of time before she comes to us.”

“Then I want to be the one who kills her.” The words almost got caught in her throat, but the look in her eyes was determined. The smile on Donovan's face was almost manic.

“I was hoping you would say that.” 

*****

The following days were a nightmare. Chloe could feel Donovan - or Richard, as he insisted she called him – constantly watching her like a hawk. Her natural talent for acting saved her life, as the man hasn't caught on to her charade. It was incredibly hard though, being surrounded by enemies – criminals she was after for almost five years – and not letting the hatred show on her face. She was so close to her dad's killer and instead of giving him what he deserved, she was forced to have polite conversations with him. What's more, she missed Beca terribly. Pretty much since they met, they've be en inseparable. After they moved in together, there wasn't a night Chloe spent alone. Now, she could barely sleep without her wife by her side. The fear for her own life, and for Beca's, gnawed at her  in every waking moment, making her restless and anxious. She didn't know how much longer she would be able to keep up the facade. She was slowly accepting that, sooner or later, they were going to kill her. Her only hope was that Beca wouldn't be stupid enough to come here seeking revenge.

*****

Honestly, she should have known better. Somewhere around her third week in the gangsters' hands, she overheard a conversation between Donovan and one of his men.

“Sir, we have a trespasser. I sent the boys to take care of her, but she's a feisty one.”

“You idiot, it must be Mitchell! I want her alive! Call everybody off!” 

A cold dread washed over Chloe. Beca was here. She couldn't imagine how that could possibly end well. Chloe swallowed hard through her dry throat, barely managing to school her expression before Donovan appeared in the doorway.

“Ah, I see you're awake. I have good news.” He smiled at her broadly. 

Chloe only just fought the urge to gag at the sight, knowing what must have been going through the man's head. She looked at him with a questioning expression, not trusting her voice to remain steady.

“Beca Mitchell has finally decided to pay us a visit. It means you get your chance to avenge your dear father. I hope you're ready?”

“I'm ready," Chloe affirmed with a resolute nod. 

*****

Chloe was not ready. Seeing her wife again after so long was exhilarating, but also terrifying. The latter because she didn't know how to get them out of there alive. If it was even possible. What's more, she had to fight really hard not to let her intense emotions show on her face. Everything in her was screaming for Beca, begging her to run, close the distance between them and take her in her arms. That would be the last thing she got to do in her life though, so she restrained herself. The emotions clearly visible on Beca's face weren't helping the matter. First - disbelief, shock, then overwhelming relief, which made way to confusion and finally panic the longer Chloe put up her act. It had to be done, though, it was their only chance. So despite the pain she felt saying all those nasty things to Beca, she powered through, eventually bringing the gun to her face. Gazing into her favorite pair of eyes in the entire world, she took a deep, calming breath. And turned on her heel, years of training allowing her to aim and shoot in one quick move, killing Donovan on the spot.

*****

Chloe spun around, dropping the gun and throwing herself at Beca before Donovan's body has even hit the ground. She hugged her wife tightly to her, one hand around the slim waist, the other stroking soft, chocolate locks soothingly.

“It's okay, Bec. It's okay,” she was whispering fervently into Beca's ear. “I’ve missed you so much, baby. I love you.”

Beca was stiff at the beginning, understandably shocked, but after a short moment she returned the embrace just as fiercely, wrapping her arms around Chloe and burying her face in the redhead's neck. Soon, Chloe felt wetness on her skin, and she pulled back a bit. Cupping her wife's face in her hands, she wiped off the tears that escaped her stormy blue eyes. She looked at Beca lovingly and started leaning in to kiss her, but the sound of the door opening stopped her short.

"C'mon." Chloe grabbed Beca by the hand and pulled her towards the garden, kneeling amidst the thicket of trees and other plants. Seconds later, the guards walked in, gasping at the sight of their boss lying dead on the floor. Chloe fired her gun, taking them by surprise. In a blink of an eye, all three were dead. She walked over to them, collecting their guns and returned to their hideout. Beca hasn't moved an inch. She wasn't even blinking. Worry shot through Chloe, but she knew how to get through to her wife.

“Beca, look at me," Chloe said firmly, her eyes set on Beca's. "You have to pull yourself together. We're going to get out of here, but I need you here with me. I need my partner." 

Upon those words, recognition flashed in Beca's eyes. She shook her head lightly, closed her eyes for a second, and opened them again. Beca nodded, taking two guns that Chloe offered her.

“Let's give 'em hell.”

* * *

The following moments were a blur of motion. Beca's mind switched into a fighting mode, enabling her to act without thinking. Her emotions have been mercifully locked down in the farthest corner of her brain. She was no longer stunned by the crazy events, nor overcome with relief. Instead, she was going on pure instinct and well-trained movements.

She and Chloe were like a fine oiled machine, a deadly duet. Standing back to back, they were wreaking havoc among the approaching enemies. They worked together seamlessly, as if reading each other's minds, predicting one another's moves without fail.

However, in the back of her head, Beca knew that their situation was still critical. Soon, they were going to run out of ammo. The moment this thought flew through her mind, another group of Vipers barged into the room, aiming at the two of them. Suddenly though, a loud noise from above startled them all, causing Beca to look up. A huge, dark shape was hovering in the air above the dome. Beca instantly recognized it.

In a swift move, she tackled Chloe to the ground, rolling them under one of the benches. Seconds later, the ceiling exploded, a rain of sharp glass pieces falling down, wounding the slowest men. Then, fully armed FBI agents descended on lines hanging from the helicopter, immediately springing to action. Shots could be heard from somewhere below them, indicating the arrival of another team on the lower levels.

“Beca!” A familiar voice shouted from nearby. Beca crawled out from under the bench, extending her hand to help Chloe stand up as well. That's when Jesse spotted them, running up to them with an utterly dumbstruck expression on his face.

“Chloe?” He stuttered in disbelief.

“Good to see you, Jess.” Chloe sent him a dazzling smile. Jesse blinked stupidly for a few seconds, but quickly composed himself.

“You guys okay?” he asked, looking over both women.

“Yep. I have no idea how the hell it happened, but we're both okay.” Beca looked at her wife in amazement, still not quite believing that she was there with her.

“I wouldn't be so sure about that," Chloe said, looking at the brunette's bloodied clothes worriedly. 

“I'm fine, baby. Most of it is not my own,” Beca assured her, but Chloe didn't look convinced.

“What were you thinking anyway? Coming here by yourself...It's practically a suicide!” Chloe was getting angry, her jaw clenching visibly. 

Beca swallowed hard, opening her mouth to try and explain herself.

“Um, guys, hate to interrupt, but we should head back. A lot of people are worried about you,” Jesse hedged slowly, as if afraid to have the redhead's wrath redirected to him. Chloe, however, relaxed slightly, a small smile gracing her face.

“You're right. We will talk later,” she said, sending Beca a stern look.

“Great. Let's go.” Jesse made a first step towards the door. The room has been already cleared, the agents having efficiently took care of the remaining gangsters. Two of the agents remained by the door, seemingly waiting to escort them to the exit. The rest of the team was still clearing the building, judging by the occasional shots echoing in the hallways.

“One moment," Beca called to Jesse, having not moved from her spot. She then turned back to Chloe and in a quick move took her in her arms, pressing their lips in a searing kiss. 

The kiss was probably the most powerful one they have ever shared. Fueled with weeks of separation, despair, and longing, it was passionate from the very beginning. Their lips moved against each other in a well-practiced rhythm, love flowing between them, scorching hot like a raging volcano. Beca slowly licked Chloe's bottom lip, her hand tightening in soft, red locks. Chloe immediately granted her access, both women moaning when their tongues met. Hands were roaming all over bodies, holding each other as close as possible. Beca reveled in the sensation, inhaling her wife's scent, feeling the taste of her lips against her own. When they were eventually forced to break away for air, their embrace didn't loosen. Beca proceeded to pepper small kisses all over Chloe's face, whispering “I love you” after each one. The feeling of holding her wife in her arms, after three weeks of believing she would never get to do that again, was almost beyond comprehension. As cheesy as it sounded, it was like coming out on the sun after having been stuck in the dark for a long time. Beca felt tears escaping her eyes, but she couldn't care less. With a final sweet kiss to Chloe's delicate lips, Beca reluctantly leaned back a tiny bit.

She was met with a pair of gorgeous blue eyes, looking at her. Any traces of anger were long gone, replaced by a look of pure love and adoration. Beca grinned like an idiot, taking in the beautiful woman in her arms. If she could, she would never let her go again. A dull pain in her chest and limbs brought her back to reality though, so she took Chloe’s hand and turned towards Jesse with a satisfied smirk.

“Now we can go.” 

* * *

As they were walking through the halls, Jesse told them in brief what happened after he left Beca and Chloe's apartment. He got a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach as soon as he left Beca alone. They've known each other for years, and something in his friend's behavior didn't sit right with him. He couldn't pinpoint it though, so he let it go, rushing to the HQ for the staff meeting. The weird feeling kept preventing him from focusing on what the boss was saying, so he sent a quick text to Bob, their mutual friend from the police, to check up on Beca. Soon, he got a call back, Bob frantically reading out the note that their tiny brunette friend has left behind. Then, it was a whirlwind of nervous but well-practiced movements, the whole team preparing for a rescue mission. Benji located Beca's phone, and soon after that they set off to the given location. Using the helicopter was Lilly's idea, and as it turned out – a dangerous but very effective one, like the woman herself.

The trio exited the building without any more trouble and approached Jesse's car. Chloe helped Beca get situated in the back seat before taking her place beside her wife. Beca has lost a bit of blood and now as the adrenaline rush ceased, she was beginning to feel the exhaustion. There were some questions that she couldn't wait to get answers to though, so she looked at Chloe's perfect face, asking the one that was the most pressing.

“How are you still alive?” Her voice was small, but Chloe heard her clearly, what with the minimal distance between them. She squeezed her hand, which she hasn't let go of this whole time, and responded just as quietly, filling Beca in on most important things that have happened to her over the last weeks.

Beca listened without interrupting, only a few sounds of distress leaving her as Chloe recounted briefly the events of that fateful night. Apparently, the whole situation in that alley was a setup, designed to split them, and thus make them easier targets. As soon as Beca disappeared in the distance, chasing after the guy, the woman pulled out a knife and swung it in Chloe's direction. Instinct saved the redhead from a serious injury, the twist of her body making the blade slide lightly along her rib, breaking the skin but not doing anything more serious. After a moment of struggle, Chloe successfully retrieved her gun and killed the woman. Seconds later though, a truck pulled up sharply behind her, a group of armed men spilling out of the back, aiming at her. In the split second she got, she sent an SOS signal to their team before the men surrounded her. She tried to fight them back, but there was only so much she could do, being heavily outnumbered. It quickly became clear that they were trying to take her alive, so she managed to shoot a few of them, but eventually one of the men knocked her out.

“But why go to this length? They could have easily killed you there,” Beca wondered out loud, her hold on Chloe's hand tightening reflexively.

“My best bet is that Donovan really wanted to watch us both suffer. A quick shot was too little for him. I guess he wanted to bring me in and break me through tortures, or something.” 

Beca flinched at that, shuffling closer to Chloe and resting her head on her wife's shoulder, taking comfort in her presence. 

“My memory loss was probably an unexpected convenience. All it took was a clever story to convince me that you are the real enemy – or so he thought. He wanted to watch me kill you, then he would most probably kill me himself. That would be his ultimate revenge for us hunting him down for so long.”

“About this memory loss...You really got me worried there,” Beca said, turning her head up to look into Chloe's eyes.

“I know. I'm sorry about the things I said by the way.”

Beca shook her head. “Don't worry about that, Chlo. I get it. But, at what point did you remember me?”

“I had some temporary memory loss, I guess, just after I regained consciousness. When he showed me your picture, it instantly cleared my head.” Chloe looked into the stormy blue eyes, her voice sweet and affectionate. “Nothing could make me forget you, baby.”

Beca laughed lightly, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “That was cheesy,” she said with a wide grin on her face. She leaned in, whispering the next part, her lips brushing Chloe's with every word. “I loved that. I love you.”

Chloe pressed her lips firmly to Beca's, kissing her tenderly for a moment. Pulling back, she brought her hand to Beca's cheek, gazing at her fondly. “I love you too, Bec. So much.”

After kissing Chloe one more time, Beca curled into her snugly. She rested her head again on Chloe's shoulder, her wife wrapping her arms gently around her, holding her close. Beca sighed contentedly, gazing through the window at the clear sky above. The sun was slowly rising over the horizon, bathing everything in a soft, orange glow. Beside her, Beca's personal sun was sitting peacefully, the steady beating of her heart lulling Beca into sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An additional piece to the chapter 1. The first part is a prologue featuring some of their backstory, and the second is a short epilogue. Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, now I can say it: I'd never ever kill Chloe (or Beca), or give her a permanent memory loss. I love them so much and I just want them to be happy. Maybe that's not the most realistic approach, but who says fiction has to be realistic? ;)

Prologue

" _Carry on my wayward son._ " Jesse's voice sounded over the music pounding from the radio. He was nodding his head wildly to the beat, tapping the rhythm on the wheel.

"Keep your eyes on the road, weirdo," Beca grumbled, rolling her eyes at her goofy friend.

" _Lay your weary head to rest—_ " Jesse continued singing, long used to Beca's morning grumpiness. "C'mon Bec, sing with me— _Don't you cry no more_!"

"Yeah, we'll see who's gonna cry. You're gonna miss me, Swanson." Beca crossed her arms over her chest, looking out the window.

"Aww, 'course I'm gonna miss you, Becaw. But we'll still hang out, don't worry. I won't let you miss my handsome face too much." Jesse grinned widely at her, bumping her arm lightly for emphasis. Beca punched him back twice as hard, not quite succeeding in concealing her own smile.

"Whatever," she muttered as they pulled up in the parking lot outside the headquarters.

They walked into the building, greeting their friends along the way. Walking into the conference room, Beca sat down at the table with a heavy sigh. Jesse took his place to her left side, patting her gently on the arm.

"I'm sure you'll get along with your new partner. No one's gonna resist your charming self."

Beca only rolled her eyes. To be honest, she was quite nervous. She was definitely not easy-going and sociable like Jesse. Human interactions were always difficult for her. Since she joined the FBI, her only partner was Jesse, and they've been childhood friends, she knew how to work with him. Now that her father decided to give both of them new partners, Beca didn't know what to expect. She was going to have to put her trust in a complete stranger, and that was never easy, especially to her.

A few minutes later Benjamin Mitchell walked into the room, sitting at the head of the table. He noticed the disgruntled look on his daughter's face and sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"Beca, don't be like that. I told you this is necessary. We need experienced people to show the newbies the ropes, and you and Jesse are one of our best agents."

And yeah, Beca knew that. But that didn't make her any happier about the situation.

The door opening turned everyone's head into the direction of the entrance. A tall blond guy hesitated for a moment at the sight of three pairs of eyes regarding him closely.

"Mr. Stroma. Come join us," Ben said with an encouraging smile. "Swanson, this is your new partner, Luke."

The man, Luke, walked closer to the table, sending a charming smile towards Beca and a more subdued one to Jesse. Beca only nodded her head in acknowledgment. Jesse, being his ever sociable self, stood up and shook Luke's hand enthusiastically. Soon, the two men were immersed in a friendly conversation. Meanwhile, Beca was staring at the table, mindlessly playing with her bracelets. Oh, how she wished she could be anywhere else right now.

Her sulking was interrupted by the door once again being opened, and a figure bundling into the room with a flurry of motions.

"I'm so sorry for being late. My car broke down and I-" the woman started explaining, but Ben cut her off.

''That's all right, Ms. Beale. Please, come meet Beca, your new partner."

The woman turned towards Beca and when their eyes met, time seemed to freeze for a second. Beca looked into impossibly blue eyes, which were looking at her curiously. A kind smile danced on full, pink lips, and her face was framed by a mane of red curls. She was rather short, but still had probably a few inches over Beca. Her tight clothes showed off her slender, muscled figure. Beca blinked dazedly. The woman was absolutely stunning.

The beautiful stranger approached her confidently, bringing Beca back to reality. She scrambled awkwardly to her feet, standing before the woman, and extended her hand.

''Hi, I'm Beca,'' she said, her voice coming out a little higher than normal. She couldn't keep her cool around pretty girls, sue her.

To Beca's surprise, the woman ignored her hand and went straight for a hug, enveloping Beca in her arms. A floral scent hit Beca's nostrils as she awkwardly patted the woman's back.

''Nice to meet you Beca! I'm Chloe,'' the woman said, pulling away and sending her a dazzling smile.

_Damn, if I wasn't gay before..._

The rest of the day Beca spent showing Chloe around the HQ, telling her what she needed to know. Chloe listened attentively, asking questions from time to time. She seemed to be particularly interested in the Vipers' case. Her knowledge about them surprised Beca, and something in her eyes when they talked about the gang made Beca ask if her new partner had some kind of vendetta against them.

''They killed my father. That's why I'm here,'' Chloe said quietly. ''I want to finish what he started–put an end to their despicable organization.''

Beca looked at Chloe's saddened face, kicking herself mentally for asking such a personal question. She didn't know what it was that pushed her to say the next words.

''I'll help you. I mean, I'd obviously try to end those bastards anyway, I've been trying to for a few years now. But now I have an even bigger motivation. We'll avenge your father. I promise.''

She feared that her jumbled speech was a bit too much, but the look on Chloe's face convinced her otherwise. The woman squeezed her hands, smiling at her gently.

''Thank you, Beca. It means a lot.'' Suddenly, Chloe leaned in close to Beca's face, speaking in a soft tone, ''I think, that we're gonna be really fast friends.''

Rendered speechless by such a close proximity, Beca could only nod in acknowledgment. She had to admit, Jesse may actually be right this time. She felt she would get along with Chloe just fine.

As long as she managed to keep her hormones under control.

* * *

Beca didn't last very long.

She tried, really, to keep their relations strictly professional, but there was just something about Chloe that made her irresistible for Beca.

It wasn't just the woman's obvious beauty, though it had definitely been a factor. Most of all, she found her incredibly easy to talk to. She wasn't deterred by Beca's grumpiness nor sarcasm, countering them with her dazzling smiles. Chloe destroyed the walls Beca's been putting up around her for most of her life with a surprising ease, and Beca found herself not minding it one bit. Therefore—as Chloe stated when they first met—they indeed became fast friends, with an addition of an undeniable sexual tension.

It was one of the lazy afternoons at the HQ, Beca was sitting at her desk in the small office she shared with Chloe. She was going through some paperwork, sipping coffee, when Chloe's soft voice broke her concentration.

''I really like this view.'' The redhead was standing in front of a big window, her gaze a bit far away as she admired the cityscape.

''Yeah, it is nice, isn't it?'' Beca responded, though she wasn't talking about the city. She allowed herself to admire the beautiful woman in front of her for a moment, before she stood up to join her.

''Looking at all these people from above, it gives you a different perspective, you know? Everything seems smaller and more trivial when you are high enough. No pun intended.'' Chloe sent her a small smile, turning her body slightly towards Beca as she continued talking.

Beca found herself zoning out as she took in the sight before her. She didn't mean to, she loved talking to Chloe, or just listening to her impassioned little rambles, but she got easily distracted. It wasn't her fault, Chloe was just exceptionally gorgeous. Her vibrant red hair was tied into a tight bun, but a few locks managed to escape it, falling around her face. Her eyes seemed even bluer than ever, thanks to the blue top the woman was wearing. Beca's eyes fell to the soft, pink lips, which were forming words that Beca couldn't fully register.

Suddenly, Chloe stopped talking, probably having realized that Beca hasn't been paying attention.

''Beca...'' Chloe started to say something, probably intending to question Beca's actions, but she was cut off by a pair of lips crashing into hers.

As soon as Beca realized what she's done, she panicked, pulling away hastily, spilling apologies at the same time. Chloe, who's been standing stiffly as if frozen, regained her composure and interrupted Beca's frantic words, grabbing the lapels of her jeans to yank her closer, and kissed her hard.

Shocked for a second, Beca managed to pull herself together, her hands circling Chloe's waist as she eagerly kissed back.

And god, Chloe was a fantastic kisser. Soft and gentle, but passionate at the same time. Her lips glided over Beca's in a perfect rhythm, alternating between soft caresses and light nips, making Beca's knees weak. When Chloe licked slowly over Beca's bottom lip, she couldn't help but moan, immediately granting the redhead access. Their tongues met, and Beca felt her brain melt as Chloe skilfully explored her mouth.

After a few long minutes, they reluctantly broke away, broad smiles on their faces.

''So, um, I'm guessing it means you like me too?'' Beca asked in her awkward fashion, though a small smirk was already forming on her lips at the sight of a slightly disheveled redhead.

''Haven't I made that clear?'' Chloe chuckled, her expressive eyes sparkling in amusement.

''Well, kinda,'' Beca said playfully, stepping closer to Chloe, gripping her hips lightly. ''Let me just make sure,'' she said as she leaned in to kiss Chloe again.

* * *

The next time Beca lost control around Chloe was on a Friday night, almost two weeks after their first kiss.

They haven't defined what they were yet, opting to keep things light and casual. Especially at work, both women were careful not to let their growing feelings for each other show. Relationships between partners weren't exactly unprecedented, but they were rare and generally discouraged. Intense emotions were dangerous during missions, as they could cloud judgment and cause a distraction. So they both agreed to keep the things between them quiet, at least for the time being.

But when the green jealous monster reared its ugly head, Beca was totally helpless.

Their team decided to hit the bar after work on Friday and Beca and Chloe decided to join them. They needed a little relaxation after dealing with criminals all week.

The evening was going smoothly, Beca chatting lightly and laughing with her friends, when she caught sight of a tall guy who was totally hitting on Chloe. He was leaning against the bar on one elbow, standing too close to the redhead in Beca's opinion. He handed her a drink with an overconfident smile and leaned in even closer, saying something in Chloe's ear to which she laughed heartily.

Beca saw red. Not giving a single fuck anymore, she stood up from her stool, and power walked towards them, stopping in front of the guy and pushing him away.

''Fuck off, dude. She's mine,'' she growled, giving him her best death glare.

The guy opened his mouth to retort, but promptly closed it upon seeing Beca's expression. The petite brunette could be really menacing if she wanted to.

As the man walked off, Beca slowly turned towards Chloe.

The redhead's expression was unreadable. Beca gulped, only now realizing what she's done.

''Chlo, I'm so sorry,'' she stammered. ''I don't know what came over me. I acted like a possessive asshole and we're not even officially dating, I'm-''

This time it was Chloe who cut her off by kissing her passionately. Beca was caught off guard, but she recovered quickly, melting in Chloe's embrace. Through the rush of blood pounding in her ears she could vaguely hear their friends' catcalls, but at this point she couldn't care less.

''Maybe it's time we changed that,'' Chloe said as she pulled back, her voice husky. ''Do you want me, Bec?''

Beca could only nod dumbly, all words having escaped at the moment.

''Then I'm yours,'' she whispered seductively, making Beca's toes curl. Chloe leaned close to her ear, her hot breath ghosting over Beca's sensitive shell. ''And you're mine.''

These words tipped the scale. Beca surged forward to give Chloe one more kiss, short but thorough, and then took her hand and dragged Chloe out of the bar. They were followed by more whistles from their teammates, but Beca didn't have any more fucks to give.

* * *

They cabbed to Chloe's apartment, as it was closer. As soon as they made it to the door, their clothes started to come off. Giggling between fervent kisses, the two stumbled to the closest furniture, which happened to be the couch.

After two rounds, they finally made it to the bedroom, where they continued making love until the early hours of the morning.

The next day, when the pair walked hand in hand to HQ, they were greeted by a chorus of catcalls. Jesse was teasing Beca relentlessly all day with a huge grin on his face. Mitchell senior gave the new couple a stern talking to, warning them not to let their relationship interfere with work. Beca could tell he didn't exactly approve of her choice, but she didn't care much for his opinion. She was happy.

* * *

The first time they said "I love you" was kind of accidental. They spent the night as usual in Beca's apartment. When Chloe woke up the next day, stretching languidly in the queen size bed, she saw that Beca was still fast asleep beside her. The early morning light seeping from beneath the curtains cast the room in a warm glow, making Beca's sleeping form look almost angelic. Chloe propped herself up on one elbow, gently brushing a stray lock of hair from Beca's face, admiring her girlfriend's beauty with a loving smile on her face. The brunette didn't even stir, so Chloe nudged her lightly, chuckling when Beca only flailed her hand in her general direction.

''Becs, time to wake up,'' Chloe said, smiling amusedly at Beca's scrunched up nose.

''Coffee,'' came a grumbled response. Chloe chuckled, shaking her head at Beca's morning grumpiness.

''It's Chloe, actually. You should know that by now, you were screaming my name pretty loudly a few hours ago,'' Chloe couldn't help but tease.

''Ass,'' came another laconic response, though Beca at least opened one eye.

''You happen to love my ass, judging by the number of times I caught you staring at it.''

''Just give me my coffee, woman.'' Beca opened her second eye, though still didn't seem to be planning on moving any time soon. ''Please,'' she added with a small pout.

Chloe melted a little inside because of the adorable dork of her girlfriend. She rolled her eyes, sitting up. ''Fine, fine. You're lucky I love you,'' she said with a wide smile on her face, though it quickly faded when she realized what she's just said.

Her words did wake Beca up completely, the brunette sitting up with a lighting speed, her eyes wide.

''I, uh, I mean,'' Chloe uncharacteristically stammered. ''I know it's probably too soon, but I just -''

Before she knew what was happening, she was tackled on the mattress with Beca on top of her. The brunette kissed her deeply, but all too soon pulled back, looking at her intently.

''It's not too soon. I feel it too,'' Beca said, her thumb stroking gently Chloe's cheek. ''I love you.''

Her reverent voice and the way she was looking at Chloe made all the redhead's doubts vanish. Huge grins soon appeared on both of their faces, before they met in a passionate kiss.

Needless to say, they didn't make it to work on time that day.

* * *

''Chlo, get down!'' Beca shouted, delivering a swift, high kick to the man's head, just as Chloe dropped down to the floor. The man fell limply next to her.

''Ha! Have you seen that?! I'm fucking awesome!'' Beca exclaimed proudly, extending her hand to help Chloe get up.

''Your modesty astounds me sometimes.'' Chloe rolled her eyes at her girlfriend's antics.

''Oh, shut up. You love me,'' Beca said with a goofy grin on her face.

''I do,'' Chloe admitted, getting lost in thoughts for a moment.

Since she moved in with Beca two months ago, their relationship grew even stronger. They were practically joined at the hip, doing everything together. It still amazed Chloe at times, how they seemed to just click together from the moment they met. And she hadn't even planned to make any lasting friendships in here, much less a committed relationship.

Chloe transferred to Atlanta's FBI office with the sole purpose to end what her dad had started – to put all the vipers behind the bars. Then, she was going to get back to Tampa. No distractions along the way.

But then she met Beca and fell head over heels in love with the tiny brunette.

Everything about her was drawing Chloe in. Her stormy blue eyes, the special smile that was reserved only for Chloe, her genuine care hidden behind a badass exterior. Chloe didn't stand a chance. Not that she minded.

Chloe shook herself out of her musings, realizing that Beca's been staring at her all this time with an unreadable expression on her face. She raised an eyebrow at her, asking her wordlessly what was on her mind.

Beca stood still for a moment longer. ''Marry me,'' she finally blurted out in a slightly breathless whisper.

Chloe blinked dazedly. Did she just say...?

Beca, noticing her confusion, came closer, taking Chloe's hands in hers.

''Marry me, Chloe. I love you more than I thought I could ever love anyone. I can't imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else by my side. I know we haven't been together for that long, and maybe the circumstances aren't the most romantic, but I've been thinking about it for a while now. And when you said 'I do', I just thought, why not? I know I don't need to wait anymore, I'm sure about you. About us. What do you say?''

Chloe was at a loss for words, Beca's speech having made her forget how to even form them. Seeing the growing fear in Beca's eyes, she surged forward, kissing her desperately, trying to convey her response wordlessly.

Pulling back after a long moment, she tenderly took Beca's face in her hands.

Beca sent her a hesitant smile. ''Is that a yes?''

''Yes, Beca. I'd love nothing more than to marry you,'' she said, tearing up a bit.

Beca's smile grew, lighting up her entire face. She reached to the inner pocket of her jacket, retrieving a beautiful diamond ring, and carefully sliding it on Chloe's finger. Chloe admired the beautiful piece of jewelry, her heart swelling with joy.

''You got me worried there for a second, Beale,'' Beca said with that damn sexy smirk of hers.

''Okay, first, you kind of took me by surprise, Bec. I didn't exactly expect you to propose in the middle of arresting the criminal.''

They had indeed come to this house to arrest a dangerous drug dealer. The guy was still lying at their feet, unconscious. Beca only smiled sheepishly.

''And second of all-'' Chloe trailed off, leaning into Beca's ear. ''It will be Mitchell soon.''

Beca shivered, looking at Chloe with slightly darkened eyes. ''I can't wait,'' she whispered, pulling Chloe in for another kiss.

* * *

Beca was lying on an enormous bed, looking out at the ocean visible from a huge glass door in a luxurious bedroom of a gorgeous house they rented in Cabo. Chloe was sleeping peacefully in her arms, her messy red curls sprawling all over Beca's naked chest. Her left hand was curled around Beca's ribs, the gold wedding band sitting on her finger.

Beca recalled the events of the previous day with a content smile on her face. The wedding was a small affair, only the closest family and friends. They both preferred it that way. Chloe's mum and her two older brothers flew from Florida, along with a few cousins and Chloe's friends from her previous team. Beca's mum came from Portland, along with her sister, Beca's aunt Mary. Both mothers immediately hit it off, becoming best friends in a matter of hours. All their friends from work were there too, Jesse being the proud best man.

Chloe looked absolutely stunning in her white, tight-fitting dress and it took everything in her not to forget her own name, much less the vow she was about to say.

After the reception, they flew to Cabo for their honeymoon – a wedding gift from Beca's dad. The place was gorgeous, but so far, they've spent most of their time in the bedroom.

Beca smiled brightly as Chloe stirred, rubbing her naked body on Beca's in the process.

''Good morning, wife,'' Beca said, kissing the redhead's nose as Chloe opened her eyes.

''Mmm, I love the sound of that,'' Chloe purred as she pressed a tender kiss on Beca's lips.

Beca smiled into the kiss. ''Me too. I love you.''

''Love you, too,'' Chloe sighed happily, resting her head on Beca's shoulder.

The sun was slowly rising in the sky, but Beca didn't pay attention to it any longer. She had her own sun right beside her, and she swore she would always keep her safe.

* * *

Epilogue

Beca woke up from a restful sleep, smiling at the memory of the pleasant dream she had. Letting out a yawn, she reached for her wife, quickly realizing that Chloe's not in bed with her. She sat up, looking around the bedroom, but couldn't see her anywhere. Breathing in and out slowly, she forced herself to calm down, reclining back against the headboard.

Soon enough, the redhead, clad only in a silk bathrobe, walked in through the patio door, and promptly joined Beca in bed. Chloe's return instantly eased Beca's mild anxiety as she wrapped Chloe up in her embrace, burying her face in soft red hair for a moment.

''Everything okay?'' Chloe asked softly, nuzzling Beca's neck.

''It is now,'' came Beca's quiet response.

Chloe pulled back a bit, looking up at her wife's face.

''I was hoping I would get back before you woke up. I'm sorry,'' she said, stroking Beca's cheek.

Beca kissed her briefly, tightening her grip around Chloe.

''Don't be. I'm actually doing much better now.''

''I'm glad.'' Chloe snuggled deeper into Beca's embrace, her left hand lightly tracing along Beca's jawline.

''How did you sleep? Any nightmares?'' Beca asked after a while.

''Only one, and it wasn't so bad this time. But I still wanted to walk for a while. The ocean helps me to calm down.''

''You should have woken me up. You know I wouldn't mind,'' Beca said, concern evident in her voice.

''I know. But you looked so peaceful, I didn't want to disturb your sleep. And it really wasn't that bad. I think they may actually end soon.''

Beca smiled gently, kissing the top of Chloe's head. ''I really hope so.''

It's been over two months since they were reunited. The events of Chloe's abduction and the following weeks they spent apart left scars on both of them. Not so much physical, as the emotional ones. The pain she went through thinking that Chloe was dead made a huge impact on Beca. Recovering from such a trauma takes time. For the first few days, Beca was practically glued to Chloe, not letting her out of her sight even for a moment. The few times she woke up without Chloe next to her, she legitimately had panic attacks.

The worst one happened when Chloe went to the store around the corner for some groceries. She was literally gone for five minutes, but it was enough for Beca to go into a full panic mode. Upon waking up with her wife nowhere to be found, her mind still muddled with sleep, Beca somehow convinced herself that Chloe's actually gone, and that getting her back was only a dream. When Chloe eventually came back, she found Beca kneeling on the floor, face streaked with tears, struggling to breathe. It took her almost an hour to calm her back down. Chloe felt extremely bad about the whole situation. She apologized over and over, tearing up herself while explaining that she couldn't wake Beca up, and they didn't have anything to eat for breakfast so she decided to go to the store by herself, hoping to get back before the brunette woke up. She left her a note, but Beca hadn't spotted it in her wild search through the apartment. Beca assured her that she didn't do anything wrong, becoming frustrated with herself for acting like a small child, though Chloe disagreed with her vehemently.

Then, there were nightmares. At first, they happened every time they closed their eyes, causing them to cling to each other tightly for comfort for long hours into the night. Of course, sex helped a lot, allowing them to fall asleep more easily. They would still wake up though, haunted by the dreadful memories and even more terrifying scenarios of things that could have happened.

Beca had it easier, the nightmares appearing mostly throughout the first few nights, and then more and more sporadically.

Chloe, however, had it bad. She was a highly emotional person, and all her fears and worries projected in her dreams. Almost every night for a whole month she would wake up screaming in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat, terrified. Her nightmares were also very vivid. They were all variations of Chloe's time in captivity. Sometimes she would dream that Donovan saw through her act and tortured her to death. Those were relatively easy for Beca to calm Chloe down from, by holding her securely and stroking her hair soothingly. Other times though, Chloe would dream that she actually did lose her memories and consequently killed Beca at the end. In such cases, she'd always wake up utterly devastated, immediately starting to cry hysterically. Beca hated those times the most; seeing her wife in such emotional anguish made her insides twist painfully. It also required a lot of effort to console the redhead, as the images she saw in her dreams prevented her from thinking clearly. Beca would always hold her face in her hands then, trying to maintain eye contact and talking to Chloe in soft tones. Eventually, Chloe would calm down, but it took a toll on both of them.

Beca admired her wife though. It took a lot of strength to go through what Chloe went through and still be such a positive, happy person afterward.

Because, as much as nights were hard for them, during the day they were the happiest people alive. The separation made their connection even deeper, and the couple spent every moment together, enjoying life and each other. Beca cherished every second she got to spend with her wife, as she thought she would never get to do that again.

Obviously, they weren't fit to return to work, so Beca's father sent them to Cabo for a well deserved holiday. Beca knew he was feeling guilty and it was some sort of apology for not supporting her enough when Chloe was gone. He even bought them the same luxurious beach house they spent their honeymoon in. Seeing the joy on Chloe's face when they got the keys made Beca instantly forgive her dad.

And so here they spent the last two months, enjoying the ocean, a private beach and beautiful weather. Such a relaxing environment really worked wonders for them.

They were getting better. With every day, Beca's anxiety lessened, and Chloe's nightmares were happening less and less. Beca was sure that they would soon be okay.

Her musings were interrupted by Chloe's whispered question. ''What are you thinking about?''

''You. How much I love you. And how strong you are.''

Chloe pulled away a tiny fraction, just to look at her properly. ''You are strong too, you know? Very much so.''

At Beca's silence Chloe grew concerned. ''What's wrong?''

''I feel like I've failed you,'' Beca replied after a moment of hesitation.

Chloe sat up, her eyes widened. ''What are you talking about?''

''I promised to protect you. But I failed,'' Beca whispered in a raw voice.

''That's bullshit.'' That got Beca's attention. _Good_ , Chloe thought. ''Baby, you did everything you could. You couldn't stop them from taking me, but if you hadn't come to avenge me, I would have had no way of getting out of there. And you didn't even know I was alive! I don't know if I would be able to do that. Without you, I would probably fall apart,'' Chloe whispered the last part, her voice cracking a bit.

''You wouldn't. You're incredibly strong. But I'm not going anywhere, so you won't have to find out,'' Beca said, pulling her into her arms.

Chloe relaxed against her, pressing a kiss to Beca's shoulder.

''I wish we could just stay here forever. Our little piece of paradise,'' she said quietly after a moment.

Beca was silent for a long while, so Chloe was surprised when she finally replied. ''So let's stay,'' she said, looking her in the eyes, a serious expression on her face.

"We can't do that Bec, you know that,'' Chloe laughed incredulously.

''Why not? We did our part, we avenged your father. I think they are going to be just fine without us.''

''Wait, are you serious?'' Chloe's eyes were wide, a smile beginning to appear on her face.

''Yeah. I mean, we're loaded now. With part of this bastard's money on our account, we could just retire now and still be able to live comfortably. I would finally have the time to focus on my music again, and you could write a book like you've always wanted to do. And the kids would love it here,'' Beca said enthusiastically, a huge grin on her face.

''Woah, let me stop you for a second. You want kids?'' Chloe asked, shocked that her wife even considered the notion of having kids. With their chosen career path, they both knew that it was not really possible, but now...

''I mean, who wouldn't want cute tiny redheads running around?'' Beca said with a smirk. ''Besides, you've always dreamt of a big family, and I want to give you that.''

Chloe looked at Beca intently, her eyes sparkling with happiness. ''Beca, I'd love that. But is it really what you want? You know you're enough for me.''

Beca kissed her tenderly, stroking her cheek when she pulled back.

''I can't wait to have kids with you,'' she said, her entire face lit up with joy.

''We'll talk about it more soon. Right now, there are important things I want to do to you.'' Chloe pushed Beca onto her back, swiftly rolling on top of her, Beca's surprised laughter sounding like a perfect melody for Chloe's ears.

They went to hell and back, but now that the storm was behind them, the future ahead looked bright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who's read through the whole thing. I'm so happy the bechloe fandom is still alive; let's keep it that way, fam xx Love to you all, take care <33

**Author's Note:**

> Part 2, featuring Beca and Chloe's backstory and a short epilogue, will be up soon.  
> For now, please share your thoughts with me xx


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